February 2, 2022 3:28 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Pennsylvania’s highest court will hear arguments on the constitutionality of Pennsylvania’s mail-in voting law, after a lower court ruled the law violates the state constitution. The state Supreme Court said Wednesday it will hear oral arguments at its March 8 session in Harrisburg. The mail-in voting law – which allows no-excuse mail-in voting by any registered voter – remains in force while the state Supreme Court hears the appeal by Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration. Three Republican judges on a Commonwealth Court panel of five judges agreed Friday with Republican challengers and ruled that no-excuse mail-in voting is prohibited under the state constitution. The two Democratic judges on the panel dissented.
February 2, 2022 2:15 am
A West Pike Run Township woman accused of stabbing her boyfriend asked for a non-jury trial on Wednesday. Back in July, Pennsylvania State Police were called to the residence of Brianna Payton, 23 of Daisytown and her boyfriend Daniel Spires about an argument. During the argument Payton went to the kitchen and retrieved a knife and tried to stab Spires through a hole in a door. Spires was taken to a hospital with stab wounds to his chest and ribs. During a search of the home, police found marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Payton is facing attempted homicide, aggravated assault and drug possession charges. Spires is awaiting a preliminary hearing on drug possession charges. Payton’s trial will begin on April 1.
February 2, 2022 1:07 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Army says it will immediately begin discharging soldiers who have refused to get the mandatory COVID-19 vaccine, putting more than 3,300 service members at risk of being thrown out soon. The Army’s announcement makes it the final military service to lay out its discharge policy for vaccine refusers. The Marine Corps, Air Force and Navy have already discharged active-duty troops or entry-level personnel at boot camps for refusing the shots. So far, the Army has not discharged any. Roughly 97% of all Army soldiers have gotten at least one shot. More than 3,000 have requested medical or religious exemptions.
February 1, 2022 1:52 pm
NEW YORK (AP) – The New York Times has has bought Wordle, the free online word game that has exploded in popularity and, for some, become a daily obsession. It listed the purchase price as being in the “low-seven figures,” but did not disclose specifics. Wordle was created by Josh Wardle, a Brooklyn software engineer. On Nov. 1, only 90 people played it. In two months, that number grew to 300,000 after people began sharing their scores on social media. Now, The Times says the simple puzzle that lets players guess a daily five-letter word in six tries with no hints has millions of daily players.
February 1, 2022 8:51 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Cash is pouring in to Pennsylvania’s hotly contested race for U.S. Senate, as wealthy and well-connected candidates moved in from out of state, followed by millions of dollars. Filings posted online by the Federal Election Commission before Monday night’s deadline showed Mehmet Oz – best-known as host of “the Dr. Oz Show” – loaned himself $5.2 million. Meanwhile, a super PAC supporting a Republican rival, former hedge fund CEO David McCormick, raised more than $5 million from the world of finance. In the Democratic primary race, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman kept a strong cash advantage over his nearest rival, Conor Lamb, a third-term congressman from suburban Pittsburgh.
February 1, 2022 4:06 am
UNITED NATIONS (AP) – Russia accused the West of “whipping up tensions” over Ukraine and said the U.S. had brought “pure Nazis” to power in Kyiv as the U.N. Security Council held a stormy debate Monday on Moscow’s troop buildup near its southern neighbor. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield shot back that Russia’s growing military force of more than 100,000 troops along Ukraine’s borders was “the largest mobilization” in Europe in decades. Hours later, the Russian government sent a written reply to a U.S. proposal aimed at deescalating the crisis. A State Department official declined to offer details of the response.
February 1, 2022 4:03 am
TORONTO (AP) – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he has tested positive for COVID-19 but is “feeling fine.” The prime minister is fully vaccinated and has received one booster shot. After announcing his infection Monday, Trudeau blasted the behavior of anti-vaccine protesters who filled Canada’s capital to complain about pandemic restrictions. His announcement followed a weekend of protests in Ottawa against vaccine mandates, masks and lockdowns. Some demonstrators travelled in truck convoys and parked on the streets around Parliament Hill, blocking traffic. Some urinated on the National War Memorial and danced on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, others carried signs and flags with swastikas. A smaller but significant number of protesters remained on Monday.
February 1, 2022 3:58 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation says the bridge that collapsed in Pittsburgh last week showed deterioration during a September inspection that wasn’t bad enough to require its closure. PennDOT spokesperson Alexis Campbell said Monday that state and federal laws and the ongoing investigation mean her agency won’t release the full inspection report. The Forbes Avenue bridge over Fern Hollow Creek in Frick Park collapsed early Friday. Five cars and a municipal bus plummeted into a ravine. A team from the National Transportation Safety Board is using cranes to lift the vehicles out. No one died in the collapse.
February 1, 2022 2:54 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. health regulators have given full approval to Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine after reviewing additional data on its safety and effectiveness. The decision Monday by the Food and Drug Administration comes after many tens of millions of Americans have already received the shot under its original emergency authorization. Full approval means FDA has completed the same rigorous, time-consuming review for Moderna’s shot as dozens of other long-established vaccines. Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine received full approval last summer. Public health advocates initially hoped the distinction would boost public confidence in the shots. But there was no discernable bump in vaccinations after the Pfizer decision.
February 1, 2022 2:23 am
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) – Pennsylvania’s highest court is signaling that it may get involved in the process of redrawing Pennsylvania’s congressional district boundaries. The state Supreme Court, in a 5-2 decision Monday, put a hold on a lower court’s consideration of proposals for a new map and said it would hear arguments on Democrats’ appeals for it to exercise its “extraordinary jurisdiction” in the matter. A Commonwealth Court judge, Patricia McCullough, has held hearings on competing proposals for new district boundaries after Gov. Tom Wolf and lawmakers deadlocked. Democrats had argued that McCullough should only recommend a map to the high court, not issue an order adopting a particular map that she selects.
